Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Into a half-liter mug, this beer is a very pale gold with a moderate head. Crystal clear. Sweet, grainy malt aroma. Good malt flavor for a light beer, like the best Helles. Balanced by a light-to-medium bitterness that dries out the sweetness, and adds a touch of floral hop character. Fruitiness is low but detectable. Light bodied with a crisp character.

Very light clearish yellow with a good sized big white head. Smell is light malty graininess, almost a spiced essence and a touch metallic. Taste is a mix of a light maltiness and subtle yeastiness. Very similar to a lightly flavored Wit beer. Not bad at all, but then again, nothing spectacular. It is the first organic beer I've tried that didn't taste strange in some way though.

Yep, got this from the BA's German Beer Fest. Why aren't you volunteering as well?

Enjoying this brew from a Samuel Adams mug that Marc from Sunset Grill gave us last week at the BA staff meeting. Privileges volunteering has (I'm watching Star Wars Episode III).

So, according to this bottle, the beer inside is organic. I'm sure that means something to some people, for me, not so much.

Appearance: I swear there was a nice, thick head to this beer, but I just looked down and there's none to speak of. Again, it could be that I've had this beer has been in my fridge for awhile and it's due to age or the cleanliness of my glass.

Smell: Sweet malt, straw

Taste: I could only pick up malt when I tasted this beer.

Mouthfeel: smooth, crispiness. No lingering sensation.

Drinkability: I have to say this was a highly drinkable and enjoyable beer. I don't put much credence in something being "organic" but I'm not going to hold it against this beer.

There is something about the aroma that is particular to this brew/style that I can't put my finger on .. Earthy.. grainy .. malty and lightly fruity all at the same time.. Sorta smells like a pale/very lightly hopped wort before fermentation.

The flavor leans alot to the grainy side of things.. much of the same complexities as the nose but more substantial... really pretty rich given the color and the lower ABV... bready with very low but discernable spicy hops... The body is also sorta unexpected.. more viscous given the light color.. smooth.

My only "problem" with this brew is a personal one .... after plugging away at roughly 50% of the bottle right now, I know I wouldn't want another one immediately.

I know that I've had the Pinkus Munster before because I have the label, but I honestly don't remember drinking it. This is a very nice brew and more complex than my feeble palate/brain can describe. No doubt, I will buy again, if for no other reason, to try and pick out some of the background flavors/aromas that are giving me trouble tonight.

This is unlike any altbier I've had before, the look resembling a pilsener, pouring out a hazy golden color, as opposed to a brown or amber. Not much head or lacing, settling down quickly to a tiny tiny ring of foam.

Tastewise, it's dominated by malt, hops, and yeast, tasting almost like a less hoppy version of what Pilsener Urquell used to taste like back before it got bought and was still good. Sort of resembles Budvar/Czechvar.

Very drinkable and a pleasant, if sedate, beer, but not at all representative of a typical altbier. So if you're looking for a classic alt, look elsewhere.

Poured right into a tapered pint glass from the bottle. The puffy head disappears within 10 minutes. Smell very yeasty in the way of a typical German beer. Very cloudy and hard to see the bubbles rising. I took this beer out of the fridge to allow it to warm up a bit. A yeasty/ citrus like taste that lingers on the palate. Very drinkable and interesting.

Poured a really nice, bright, light head. The head itself seemed to be bubbling, not just sitting there which was interesting. A nice level of carbonation with the bubbles on the bottom climbinb up the side of the glass and those on top rushing quickly to the surface. Average, golden, slightly hazy color, with an aroma like rice krispies. This was my first altbier and it definitely brought me back to my time in Deutschland. I expected a sweeter, deeper malt taste, but this tasted almost like a wheat beer. Good though, I would drink it again but probabl won't buy it for a while.

When poured from its pint bottle to my pint glass, it had an awesome gold color with a bright white head. The aroma was delicate with a sweet malt base and a piney hop scent probably due to the noble hops used (Saaz?).The flavor was delicate with a light body and a dry finish. The piney hop flavor is present during the entire tasting. All and all, it was a light, refreshing, delicate beer. And best of all, it's 100% organic!

i have'nt had an alt in a while ; pours a hazy golden-straw colour w/ a thin white head which dissapates quickly, little lacing ; a hoppy aroma w/ some malty undertones, i get a faint, almost smokey aroma in there too ; a little thin on the flavor, mostly hop w/ a "euro-macro" malt profile, not as malty & rich as some alts i've had ; a light, almost dry palate w/ a good amount of carbonation ; a very drinkable brew, i want to try this one head-head w/ some other alts one day ....

Pours a very clear, cloudy color with minimal head. Aroma is light and somewhat malty upfront. Taste is somewhat bitter in front with a lot of malt crispness. It's nice and bready as well. A bit hard to describe but otherwise, I think this is a decent altbier. It's not as dark as other altbiers that I've had and seems more true to the style as well. Regardless, I'll chalk this up as being very drinkable much like the Ur Pils.

Very sleek, old-style bottle. Labeled as organic, with USDA organic stamp on back.

Pours a golden color, with a hazy clarity. Head was slight and dissipated rapidly. Carbonation lasts for a good while.

The smell is raw and tart. A lemony (acidic?). Malt is strong.

The taste is light, and malty. Carbonated bite lends the grain/malt flavor. Sweetness comes in the middle and is a bit fruity. Hops are floral/grassy , and a bit subdued.

Sticky in the throat, and a bit watery. This beer is just not flavorful enough for me. I don't have a lot of Altbier experience, but this doesn't satisfy. However, I don't think this is a poorly constructed beer either. It has plenty of depth and complexity. Just not my cup o' tea. But all in all very drinkable beer.

It pours from 500ml bottle a clear light gold with a fairly large head of foam. After the second pour, the brew becomes cloudy and the head of foam is more substantial and longer lasting. I've got 2 finger foam in my glass right now and it's not shrinking at all. Nice.

The smell is malty and hoppy. Neither is more dominant than the other.

The taste starts of with some malt but then the hops move in and that's on the citrusy side. This is a very delicate beer and in order for me to get the most flavour out of it, I have to swish it back and forth in my mouth. *That's* when this Alt starts to shine. I get some real earthy notes from the malt as well as some sweet caramel and the hops subside to a point where they're just giving the beer the slightest bit of bitter and semi sour character. I miss the fine nuances when I just sip and swallow.

Overall? I think a lot of the flavour with this Alt will be missed if you just sip or drink and swallow but I find that swishing it in your mouth just a few times will help you recognize what's going on here when you return to sipping/drinking. Just something that I find from my experience. Ymmv. Bottom line: I really like this Alt and I hope to try some more of the style in the not too distant future.

I had this beer at Mr. Moto's in Burlington IA, poured from a standard German 0.5L bottle. The beer was much lighter in color than I expected for an Altbier, it was crystal clear and golden colored. The aroma was malty, a little like a muted wort smell, very promising. The flavor was almost all malts, slightly sweet, nothing offensive but nothing too strong either. Very easy for a variety of palates I would guess, almost like a strong Kolsch. Very nice sessionable beer.

A-Pours a light golden like a pilsener with a decent fluffy eggshell head. A small ammount of bubbles float to the top which do not really sustain the head. Lacing is very nice as sheets of foam stick to the glass as you raise it.

S-There is a spicyness here, coriander, pepper and a bt of whitebread.

T-more of that spicyness with a bit of floral type of hops and a nice sweetness to balnce. Aftertaste is somewhat minimal but is dry. The yeast comes through slightly and produces some slightly funky flavours, maybe some fruit. As it warms some of that proper old beer flavour comes through that I have enjoyed in other alts. That sort of twang comes through and makes this pretty pleasant

M-Light bodied, subtle carbonation. Pleasant enough.

D-This is a good beer but I kind of am a little bit at a loss as to what to make of it. It is much lighter than all other alts I have had and has a similar taste to the other beers in Pinkus' lineup. An interesting beer nonetheless and one I probably will get again to explore further.

I haven't had many altbiers, so this is a pretty raw assessment. A: Light gold, pretty clear, light puffy head that died down after a minute or two. Very clean. S: A lot going on here, very sweet but a lot of dry grains on top. T: A bit thin at first, but it really comes alive after a moment. Grains, citrus, floral qualities. Very nice. M: Very smooth, moderate carbonation. D: I could drink this beer all night. It's been a very hot summer so I've been looking for some interesting lighter beers, and this fits the bill nicely.

Admittedly Im not an Altbier fan, so this review probably isnt going to be the best.

From the 500ml bottle with no freshness date evident, into a pint glass. Appears a hazy straw color with minimal carbonations beneath a tight one-finger head of whitish foam that fades away slowly leaving good, sheet-like lacing. Nose of sour fruit up front; I cant decide if its intentional or just skunked. A bit musty with some malt peeking through. Faint tea-like flavor, bready wheat-like character, lots of grains. A bit of citrus and honey along with light malt. Im not crazy about the flavor but Im guessing its in style. Mouth is smooth edging toward thin, with full, creamy carbonation. Drinkability is about average, with no really impressive characteristics to bring me back.

Overall: Possibly skunked but probably not, this brew strikes me as overly bready and cereal-flavored as well as a bit thin. In style, I guess this is a good beer, but I just dont appreciate Alts, I suppose. Your mileage may vary.

a - poured a three-fingers thick, fizzy white head into a weizen glass that settles into a thick ring that lasts about halfway through and is gone, never to be seen again. the body has a light haze and is the color of yellow straw. it looks almost thin and lifeless, very dull.
s - acidic and sour like lemons with a little malt graininess.
t - yeast and citrus pervade the front and the finish is very sweet and malty.
m - slick and oily and very thin.
d - forgettable brew, i'm glad i didn't have to pay for this. i'm not too familiar w/ this style but i wasn't impressed w/ this though it did have some good qualities.

This was much better than I was expecting it to be. Everything else I have ever had from this brewery, I didn't care for. It poured a yellow/orange colour with a bit of chill haze, and a white head that seemed to vanish in about 40 seconds; white patchy webbing and a thick white ring around the edges remained. Smell was all sweet malts. Almost smelled like a bowl of breakfast cereal, actually. Taste was sweet cereals all the way through, with a bit of a sourness right at the finish. Mouthfeel was smooth and very easy to drink. Refreshing. I'm very glad I tried this offering from an otherwise dissappointing brewery. A good brew, for sure.

Taste: A watery and slightly sweet malted wheat taste that is rather thin lager-like. There's a yeastie and bready effect, but is not nearly complex or deep enough to keep my taste buds happy. Much, much thinner and weaker than most good Altbiers that I've had.

MF: This feels very lively and active but thin and forgetable.

DA: Another, not-so-good organic offering. I was really routing for this one to be decent. I expected an Alt and got a thin American Macro Lager. Oh well.

Ahhh! The last surviving member of the Muenster Alts -- a style nearly killed by the Lager revolution, as well as the Pasteur revolution.

If this is what the style was, then I say good-riddance. It suffers from being 'not enough' in oh so many ways.

It pours a pleasant straw yellow, tainted by a pinch of chill-haze with a bubbly head that quickly collapses.

It smells very faint. This will be the beer's trademark. Faint and not enough.

The taste follows the smell. It is incredibly watery with a strong blast of nutty light munich mingling with a hint of wheat. This would be good if it weren't so dilute -- it is like a Helles mixed with seltzer water. Then there is a nice sour bite, but once again, far too muted to really make an impression, followed by a rather unpleasant soapy taste. If either the malt mix were toned up, or the sourness increased, I think this could be a very good beer. But they aren't, so I'm left with glorified dishwater.

The mouthfeel, as mentioned, is very watery and razor thin. If there were more carbonation, this could be rescued. But there isn't.

Drinkability: Why wouldn't I grab a Helles or a Berliner Weiss instead of this beer? This beer has aspects of both (and they are both styles I love) but it manages to do them very poorly.

Like the Gose, I think this is a style of beer best left to the history books.